Moving a copy of Windows XP to another PC

I bought a used Compac PC with XP installed on it. Recently the motherboard went dead. I want to use the hard drive in a new PC without going out to buy another copy of XP. This should be legal as I own the copy on the hard drive. Can I simply boot up the new PC with the old hard drive?

Answer Wiki

You will likely be able to boot up but not all devices will likely work the first time. You will need to have all the drivers available for devices like the video card, sound card, network interface card. So, you should have access to the internet on another device so you can get these driver packages for installation. Otherwise, you should do a fresh install.

One thing to note though is that if the XP copy is an OEM license, that license is tied to the motherboard of the machine where it was first installed. If it is an OEM license, you will need to purchase a new copy for your use.

Most likely the machine will try to boot, but won’t come up completely. It will stop with the splash screen and restart. You might be able to fix this by booting up on an XP install CD and running a Windows Installation Repair (We call it a second repair because you go passed the Repair Console Screen to the 2nd repair screen). This will revert Windows back to it’s default drivers which should let the MB boot. Then just load up your drivers for the missing devices and it should be good to go. If both MB are identical it will boot right away, no problems. If they are using the same chipset it might boot, if they are different chipsets….. well, not alot of luck there.

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Yes, you will most likely have to boot the installation CD and do the repair process (not the recovery console as was mentioned). Hopefully you have a real XP CD and not some manufacturer-supplied recovery CD set.
From what I saw in the XP license (we had this come up a few weeks ago), the OEM version is tied to the motherboard...BUT...if you are replacing the motherboard due to "defect" then you do not need to purchase another OEM license.
That was our understanding, and when we call Microsoft to get a new activation # and explained the reason to them they also had no issues with it. YMMV.

There are SO many forums that continue to promote this myth that you can use an OEM version of XP when you change out a system board or on a completely different computer ‘because you own XP”.
This is taken from Microsoft’s OEM manufactures partner’s website (Windows live sign in required and must be OEM member)
https://oem.microsoft.com/script/contentpage.aspx?PageID=552862&wa=wsignin1.0
Upgrading a Motherboard?
An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a "new personal computer" to which Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from another computer. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced, for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created and the license of new operating system software is required.
IF the motherboard is replaced because it is defective, you do not need to acquire a new operating system license for the PC. The replacement motherboard must be the same make/model or the same manufacturer’s replacement/equivalent, as defined by that manufacturer’s warranty.
The reason for this licensing rule primarily relates to the end-user license agreement (EULA) and the support of the software covered by that EULA. The EULA is a set of usage rights granted to the end user by the PC manufacturer and relates only to rights for that software as installed on that particular PC. The system builder is required to support the software on that individual PC. Understanding that end users, over time, upgrade their PC with different components, Microsoft needed to have one base component "left standing" that would still define that original PC. Since the motherboard contains the CPU and is the "heart and soul" of the PC, when the motherboard is replaced (for reasons other than defect) a new PC is essentially created. The original system builder, therefore, cannot be expected to support this new PC that they did not manufacture.
FYI, OEM = one system board, if not then legally requires a new license
best of luck
dmw

@Dwiebesick,
Thanks for the clarification. I wish Microsoft would've made that information a lot clearer and more available from the get-go. After lots of digging, I was probably a victim of only being able to find that answer on one of the forums you mentioned.
What I was advocating was the point whereby you can replace a defect motherboard and not lose the OEM license, but I didn't have the clarification of the need for the new board to be identical/near-identical to the original.
I love Microsoft's licensing jargon. :)

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